The Welshman has been in incredible form this term, netting 19 Premier League goals on his way to claiming three Player of the Year awards, with his displays reportedly putting the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich on alert.

And with Spurs rumoured to be asking for somewhere in the region of €70 million, former White Hart Lane man Walsh, who made 128 appearances for the club, reckons the pain of losing him would be easily numbed by new signings.

“Of course they should keep him, but they could also cash in by buying three world-class players for that amount of money," he told The Sunday Mirror.

“Gareth has three years left on his contract, so the club can say: ‘You’re not going anywhere. We are going to keep you.’ But they also have to think that he may have to go, depending on their financial situation.

“Obviously getting into the top four will help. Others have gone before him so you can’t rule it out.

“I don’t think it’s the end of the world because they could really strengthen the side with three fantastic new players.”